Constituency Vote? List Vote? How to maximise pro-indy MSPs and minimise unionist MSPS.
The voting system used in Scottish general elections was explicitly set up by the Labour UK government in 1998* to prevent an SP majority in the Scottish Parliament. It is split into two votes..
constituency votes seats, whilst the Conservatives and Labour together won only 10 seats.
However, due to their constituency vote success, the SP's 956,000 list votes were 'devalued' by the system and won
• a Constituency vote similar to Westminster's 'First Past The Post' (FPTP) system (deciding 73 Holyrood seats).
• and a Regional, or List vote, which uses the "Additional Member System' to select extra MSPs from a party list (deciding 56 Holyrood seats). A party may stand for list seats only if it wishes.
The system is designed to ensure that the more constituency seats a party wins, the more their list votes are 'devalued' and the harder it becomes for it to win list seats.
By contrast, the value of list votes for parties that win fewer constituency seats is increased.
In the 2016 election, for example, the SNP won 59 of the 73
them only 4 additional list MSPs, whilst the Conservatives' and Labour's combined list votes - only 4,000 more votes - got them 45 additional list MSPs.
How to maximise your pro-indy votes in May 2026 ...
Assuming that the SNP continues to poll well on the constituency vote, the best way to maximise your pro-indy votes and reduce the number of Unionist MSPs is to give your regional list vote to the Scottish Greens who are best placed in all* regions to increase pro-indy list seats - vote SNP1/SGP2.
* In rare circumstances where the SNP and Scottish Greens compete for a constituency, vote for whichever holds the lead - Leader1/SGPZ.
How to use your second vote in Scotland's May 7th election to maximise pro-Indy MSPs and reduce unionist MSPs including Reform. #Holyrood #SNP1SGP2